Player News

Sampson (hand/calf) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Bills, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Sampson will unsurprisingly miss a second consecutive game after being unable to practice in any capacity throughout the week. The rookie fourth-round pick's next chance to play will come in Week 17 against the Steelers, while Trayveon Williams and Raheim Sanders will fill depth roles behind rookie second-round pick Quinshon Judkins against the Bills.

Moore (elbow) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Buccaneers.

Moore practiced without limitations all week, but he will need to be activated from injured reserve with an official transaction to be eligible to suit up Sunday. If he rejoins Carolina's receiving corps, Moore would likely return to a depth role behind Tetairoa McMillan, Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker.

Marks (ankle) is working off to the side with a trainer at Friday's practice, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Wilson expects Marks to be listed as a limited participant, which would still be a step in the right direction after Marks didn't practice Wednesday or Thursday. Marks injured his ankle during this past Sunday's win over the Cardinals, and while Houston's coaching staff claimed that Marks could have reentered against Arizona, the ankle injury has put his availability for Sunday's game against the Raiders in jeopardy. Nick Chubb and Jawhar Jordan could play larger roles if Marks is sidelined or limited Sunday.

Demercado should have a role off the bench behind starter Michael Carter in Sunday's game against Atlanta, Tyler Drake of ArizonaSports.com reports.

Demercado seemed to be ahead of Carter on the depth chart for most of the season, but Carter has arguably fared better when tasked with a lead role, while Demercado's success as a bench player hasn't typically translated across larger workloads. Demercado's recent return from a high-ankle sprain may also be a factor, with this being his second game back from a three-game absence. He took just three touches for one yard in last week's 40-20 loss to the Texans, so it didn't come as any surprise Friday when Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon named Carter as the Week 16 starter.

Higgins (concussion) will be listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Dolphins, Geoff Hobson of the Bengals' official site reports.

Per Kelsey Conway of The Cincinnati Enquirer, coach Zac Taylor noted Friday that Higgins -- who was limited at practice Wednesday and Thursday -- still has one more hurdle to clear in the NFL's concussion protocol. Fortunately for those considering the wideout in Week 16 fantasy lineups, the Bengals kickoff Sunday is at 1:00 p.m. ET. If Higgins isn't cleared to face Miami, Mitchell Tinsley would be in line to see added WR snaps alongside Ja'Marr Chase and Andrei Iosivas.

Njoku (knee) wasn't spotted at practice Friday, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.

With Njoku poised to log three consecutive 'DNPs' this week, the tight end appears to be trending toward being sidelined Sunday against the Bills. Njoku's absence in the Browns' 31-3 loss to the Bears in Week 15 helped pave the way for fellow TE Harold Fannin to record seven catches on a team-high 14 targets for 48 yards.

Sampson (hand/calf) isn't practicing Friday, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.

Sampson hasn't practiced all week, so he's likely to be ruled out for a second consecutive game when the Browns release their injury report later Friday. Trayveon Williams and Raheim Sanders will likely work as the depth options behind Quinshon Judkins against the Bills on Sunday.

Head coach Jonathan Gannon confirmed Friday that Carter will start Sunday's game against the Falcons, Theo Mackie of AZCentral reports.

Carter handled 18 touches and churned out a season-high 94 scrimmage yards after Bam Knight injured his ankle in the Week 15 loss to Houston. Knight was subsequently placed on IR, clearing the path for Carter to take on the starting role Sunday and likely for the remainder of the season, with Emari Demercado and Corey Kiner on hand for depth.

Sanders (hip) isn't expected to play Sunday against the Bengals, but he may return in Week 17 against the Buccaneers or Week 18 against the Patriots, Travis Wingfield of the Dolphins' official site reports.

Sanders had his 21-day window to return from injured reserve opened Wednesday, but he isn't expected to make his season debut Sunday. The kicker will likely be ruled out on Friday's injury report, which would pave the way for Riley Patterson to continue performing kicking duties for the Dolphins.

Kincaid (knee) is slated to practice Friday, Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com reports.

Kincaid didn't practice Wednesday or Thursday, but coach Sean McDermott noted Friday that the tight end didn't experience a setback with his knee. Instead, it's an issue the team is managing ahead of Week 16 action. The Bills' upcoming injury report will reveal Kincaid's game status for Sunday's game against the Browns, but Getzenberg suggests that he's trending toward being available this weekend.